dwiggins



- 2 Sheets-Sheet IA.

(No Model.)

J. W.- DWIGGINS.

y I WIRBPIGKET GRIMPER. No. 549,113.

Patented Nov. 5, 1895.

JE-rlar'. AJIA?1 m7 (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Shed; J. W. DWIGGINS. WIRE PIGKET GRIMPER.

Patented' Nov. 5, 1895.

ANDREW RCRANAM. PHUfO-LWNQWASHIN'DKDYC,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

JOHN W. DVIGGINS, OF FRANKTON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO LEROYURIWISTON AND JOHN D. GOODING, OF SAME PLACE.

WIRE-PICKET CRIM PER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,113, dated November5, 1895.

Application filed February 15, 1895. Serial No. 538,475. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. DWIGGINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Frankton, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVire-PicketOrimpers, of `which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wire-picket crimpers of thatclass wherein the Io crimping or forming mechanism is adapted to beactuated by means of a lever for the purpose of giving the desiredconformation to a Wire-fence picket; and the objects of my improvementsare, first, to provide a machine whereby wire-fence pickets may becrimped quickly and uniformly at one stroke of the lever; second, toprovide a means wherebyv the distance between the bends or crimps may bechanged, and, third, a means for holding or retaining the picket inplace during the operation. I attain these objects by means of themechanism and devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of one of the guide-plates. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of one of the slide-bars. Fig. 4 is a side view of the fingers.Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the two kinds of adjustableformers. Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the adj ustable gages.Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the slide-arms. Fig. 10 is aperspective view showing the manner of connecting the operating parts,one side being shown.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The corner posts A and A, the side pieces B, the end pieces O, and thelower braces D constitute the framework of the machine. Guide-plates Erest upon the side pieces B, and are attached thereto by means of screwss. Near the center of the guide-plates E are the slots t, through whichthe bolts securing the gages F and F are adapted to pass. The outeredges of the guide-plates E extend slightly beyond the side pieces BA toallow the ends fa of the side bars G to slide under the edges of saidguide-plates. Slide-arms H- four in number-are riveted to the slide-bars5o at r and are pivotally connected to the levers I, by which they aremoved, at p. The lower ends of the levers I are pivotally connected withthe upper ends of the lifts J, which slide perpendicularly within theguides a. A rod u connects the lower ends of the lifts J just above thelower guides a and passes loosely through the lower ends of thelifting-levers K. The vupper ends of said levers K are pivotallyconnected with the end of the handlever L, which is supported by thejournal M, extending between the corner posts A.

' The end pieces C of the frame have the notches x cut in their upperfaces, wherein the ends of the slide-arms H are adapted. to slide whenthe machine is in operation. The slide-bars G are provided with theopenings h, through which the bolts securing the formers N and O arepassed for the purpose of securing them to the slide-bars. The formers Nand O are provided with slots g, through which the bolts pass andwhereby the formers may beA adjusted laterally. The formers N are curvedfor the purpose of bringing the notched ends behind the gage F when theslide-bars are brought together. The object of the notches t' on theformers N is to prevent the ends of the picket from slipping whenpressure is being' applied, and the projecting lugs d on the gage Fprevent the ends of the picket from slipping above the gage when theformers N come in contact with it.

The gages F and F are secured to the guideplates by bolts passingthrough the openings b and through the slots t in the guide-plates. Thefingers R and R are riveted to the slidebars, R being fastened to theupper side of one of the slide-bars and R being fastened to the lowerside of the other slide-bar for the purpose of allowing them to passeach other when the slide-bars are brought together. The ends of thefingers are provided with the depressions f, which receive and hold thepicket, and as they pass each other cause the wires forming the picketto cross.

An extension leaf or table S is arranged at the side of the main frameand is suitably attached thereto for the purpose of forming a retainingdevice and support for the top of the picket while being formed orcrimped.

Pins T and T are inserted in the table S inV a suitable manner.

Fig. 1 shows the machine ready for opera- IOO ' middle until it isnearly double.

tion. The picket I), which may be a single piece of wire or braided ortwisted wires, is cut to the desired length and bent in the In thiscondition it is ready for the machine an d is placed in the positionshown in Fig. l.

It will be seen that the top of the picket is placed over one of thepins T, according to the length desired, between the pins T', along theouter ends of the gage F, Within the depressions f in the ends of thefingers R and R', and along the outer ends and under the lugs cl of thegage F'. A downward pressure on the hand-lever L causes the levers K toraise the lifts J. They in turn act upon the slide-arms II at theopening p, cause said slide-arms to move in opposite directions and atthe same time to draw the slide-bars B, riveted to the ends of theslide-arms, nearer together. This causes the formers N and O to engagethe picket at the desired points and produce the crimps or bends forwhich the formers are set.

It will be readily understood that a great variety of forms of picketsmay be produced by adjusting the gages F and F' in the slots t of theguide-plates and by adjusting the formers by means of the slots g cuttherein. The formers N and O are adapted to press the picketon eitherside of the gages and fingers, so as to produce a sharply-defined bendat the desired point. Then the hand-lever L is raised, the slide-barsmove apart on the guide-plates and the picket is removed while themachine is ready to receive another,when the operation may be repeated.

I-Iaving described my improvements, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a wire picket crimper, the combination of guide-plates F., havingslots t, the slidebars G, having the adjustable formersNand O, and thefingers R and R', with the slidearms I-I, the levers I, the lifts J, thelevers K, and the hand-lever L, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination in a wire picket crimper of the framework consistingof the corner posts A and A', the side pieces I3, the end pieces C, andthe lower braces D,`with the operating mechanism consisting of thelevers L and K, the lifts J, the levers I, the slidearms H, theslide-bars G, the guide-plates I3, the fingers R and R', the formers Nand O, and the gages F and F', substantially as shown and described.

3. In a wire picket crimper having the operating devices consisting oflevers L and K, lifts J, levers I, slide-arms II, and slide-bars G, thecombination of the plain formers O, and the curved formers N, havin gthe notches t', with the plain gage F, the gage F', having the lugs (l,and the fingers R and R', all substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination in awre picket crimper having a frame and means foroperatin g wire crimping devices, 0f the slide-bars G, carrying theformers N and O, and the fingers R and R', with the gages F and F',substantially as set forth.

5. In a wire picket crilnper, the combination of the adjustable formersN and O, and the adjustable gages F and F' with the slidebars G, theguide-plates E, the slide-arms Il, and the operating levers I, J, K andL, all substantially as set forth.

6. The combination in a wire picket crimper, of the slide-bars G, havingthe bent ends u, and provided with the plain formers O, and the curvedformers N, adjustable thereon, and the fingers R and R', having thedepressions f', riveted thereto; the guide-plates Il, having theadjustable gages F and F'; the table S, having the picket retaining pinsT and T'; the slide-arms II; the levers I the lifts J; the guides o; thelifting levers K, and the hand-lever L, with the frame, consistin of thecorner posts A and A', the side pieces B, the end pieces C, and thelower braces D, all substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twowitnesses, at Frankton, Indiana, this 2d day of February, 1895.

\ JOI-IN IV. DVVIGGINS.

Vitnesses J. E. KNIGHT, H. M. KELTNER.

